Collapsible tent, umbrella and the like



June 5, 1962 1.. J. ZENT 3,037,517

COLLAPSIBLE TENT, UMBRELLA AND THE LIKE Filed June 26, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. LAWSON J. ZENT ATTORNEY June 5, 1962 L. J. ZENT 3,0 7 7 COLLAPSIBLE TENT, UMBRELLA AND THE LIKE Filed June 26, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. LAWSON J. ZENT 59g. 6 22 BWMQ QM ATTORNEY June 5, 1962 Filed June 26, 1958 L. J. ZENT COLLAPSIBLE TENT, UMBRELLA AND THE LIKE 3 Sheets$heet 3 INVENTOR.

LAWSON J. ZENT ATTORNEY fasteners as desired.

3,037,517 Patented June 5, 1962 hce 3,037,517 COLLAPSIBLE TENT, UMBRELLA AND THE LIKE Lawson J. Zent, 143i Etna Ave, Huntington, Ind. Filed June 26, 1958, Ser. No. 744,726 1 Claim. ((11. 135-4) This invention relates to collapsible tents, umbrellas, or the like and an object is to produce a new and improved structure which can be used for tents, umbrellas or the like and can be quickly and easily erected to position of use without the use of any special tools or equipment and which can just as simply be dismantled or collapsed when not in use.

Another object is to produce a tent or umbrella supporting structure assembly having the novel features of construction, arrangement and operation hereinafter described.

For purposes of illustration but not of limitation, an embodiment of the invention is shown on the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front perspective view of the tent erected and in position of use;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the tent and supporting structure in collapsed position;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the inside of the tent showing a bottom plan of the supporting structure;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view substantially on the line 4-4 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary top plan view of the tent, parts being broken away to show a portion of the supporting structure and in particular the plate and resilient rod assembly;

FIGURE 6 is a perspective View of one of the plate members which is contained in the support assembly to which the resilient ribs are attached;

FIGURE 7 is a perspective view of the umbrella assembly showing a modified form and embodying the collapsible device according to FIGURES 1 to 6;

FIGURE 8 is a side elevation of the umbrella assembly of FIGURE 7 in collapsed condition;

FIGURE 9 is an enlarged detail showing a modified form of the connection between one of the umbrella ribs and the adjacent portion of the umbrella fabric; and

FIGURE 10 is a section on the line 1010 of FIG- URE 9.

The illustrated embodiment of the invention according to FIGURES 1 to 6 comprises a tent body T which is of flexible textile material, such as canvas and is made up of a plurality of gores 10, the edge portions of which are connected by sewed seams. It will be apparent that when erected the tent is substantially dome-like in form and at the front to provide an entrance to the tent is a pair of smaller gores 11 providing closure flaps, the free edge portions of which may be connected by snap or zipper In FIGURE 1 the tent flaps are shown partially open, the upper portion being fastened together.

At the top or peak of the tent body is a grommet 12 through which extends an eye bolt '13. The shank of the eye bolt 13 extends through registering apertures in a tent rib supporting unit 14, and a nut 15 secures the parts in place.

The tent rib supporting unit 14 comprises a pair of vertically spaced flat metal plates 16 and '17 and formed in these plates in registry are three equidistantly spaced holes 18. Vertically disposed sleeves or grommets 19 extend through the holes in the respective plates. It will be apparent that the plates '16 and 17 are spaced vertically from each other, such space being sufficient to accommodate the curled end portions of resilient metal rods or ribs 20. There are two curled end portions on each of the grommets 19 arranged one above the other. In this instance there are six resilient metal ribs 20 and these radiate from the supporting unit 14. When the tent is in its position of use, the ribs 20 not only radiate from the unit 14 but how outwardly and downwardly to place the walls under tension so that the body of the tent is maintained taut.

On the upper plate 16 of the unit 14 there is a pair of down-turned laterally spaced integral flanges 22 which space the plates 16 and 17 from each other the desired distance and also provide stops against which the adjacent ribs abut when the tent is unfolded or in position of use. On the lower plate 17 of the unit 14 there is a pair of similar flanges 23 which extend upward to abut against the underside of the plate 16. FIGURE 3 shows the relative arrangement of the stop flanges 22 and 23. It will be noted that four of the six ribs can abut against one or another of the stop flanges, thereby assisting in the positioning of the ribs with respect to the tent body and limiting the movement thereof in one direction.

The lower end portions of each of the resilient ribs 20 extend into elongate pockets 24 formed on the inside of the tent body at the desired position. These pockets are formed of canvas, suitably sewn in place, and spaced laterally from each other the proper distance to achieve the desired tent contour. As shown, the lower ends of the pockets are open so that a small portion of the ribs many extend therethrough. The pockets 24 accommodate the approximately one-half the length of each of the ribs 20 In use, a pull on the free edges of the tent body toward each other causes the ribs 2t} automatically to spread out to the positions substantially as shown in FIGURE 3, thereby placing the body in a taut condition with the ribs assuming an outward and downward bowed configuration. In order to hold the tent in its open position or position of use, a flexible strap 25 is connected to the lower end of the tent near the flaps 11 and a suitable fastener 26 enables the strap to be detachably connected to the other end of the tent body. In this manner the tent is held under tension and presents a neat and attractive appearance. In order to collapse the tent, it is merely necessary to disconnect the strap 25 and rotate the various ribs about their sleeves or grommets 19 to a position shown in FIGURE 2.

The form of the invention shown on FIGURES 7 to 10 comprises an umbrella assembly 27 consisting of a body 28 of canvas or other suitable flexible fabric material which is made up of a plurality of triangular-shaped segments or gores secured together by sewed seams 28a, the free edges of the material being disposed on the in-- side. The body 28 is supported by a supporting rod 29 which has a vertical inner end and an outwardly and downwardly inclined portion terminating in a vertical outer end portion so that the structure can be used, for example, as a tractor seat cover in which the supporting rod is spaced from the central portion of the umbrella. On the upper end of the supporting rod 29 is a rib supporting unit 14a which is similar to the unit 14 above described. .As above described, portions ofthe ribs 30 encircle the groomets or sleeves 20 and the outer end of the ribs, particularly as shown in FIGURE 9, are downturned terminating in flat ends 31 which slip into tubular clamps 32 having oppositely arranged material gripping teeth 33. A shown, the teeth engage opposite sides of the material adjacent one of the sewed seams. Manifestly there is one of the ribs for each of the sewed seams. The umbrella is held in position of use by a zipper fastener 34 which connects the free edges of the body, a hook 35 at one end engages a loop 36 at the other end of the free 3 body portion, thereby to securely hold the umbrella in position of use.

By loosening the zipper fastener 34, the umbrella body can be collapsed similar to the collapsing of the tent body above described. Also the disposing of the body in position of use is accomplished merely by drawing the free ends of the body toward each other, connecting the zipper fastener and engaging the hook 35 with the loop 36.

Numerous changes in details of construction, arrangement and operation may be effected without departing from the spirit of the invention, especially as defined in the appended claim.

What I claim is:

A collapsible tent, umbrella or the like comprising a flexible fabric body of dome-like form, and a supporting structure for same, said structure having a relatively flat mounting unit in the top of the body disposed in generally horizontal position when in position of use, a plurality of posts on said mounting unit and disposed in vertically disposed planes when the body is in position of use, a plurality of spring metal ribs having one end attached to said mounting unit, one end of each pair of ribs being coiled about one of the posts, radiating therefrom and being oscillatable thereon, a stop on said mountoscillated for disposing same in position of use, spaced pockets in the lower portion of the body for receiving the free end portions of said ribs respectively, whereby the body is placed in position of use by oscillating the ribs against their respective stops, thus spreading apart the free end portions of the ribs, and means for retaining the body in position of use.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 379,274 Hamilton Mar. 13, 1888 708,049 Jordan Sept. 2, 1902 1,995,489 Valasek Mar. 26, 1935 2,142,851 Jolly Jan. 3, 1939 2,306,706 Lucas Dec. 29, 1942 2,771,087 Simonson Nov. 20, 1956 2,948,287 Rupert Aug. 9, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 114,827 Australia Mar. 19, 1942 285,484 Great Britain Apr. 4, 1929 OTHER REFERENCES Popular Science Monthly article, vol. 168, page 83,

ing unit individual to each rib and against which same is 25 published June 1956 

